Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-01-06

fourth periods. The imports from Ger.
many have decreased from the second
period, actually as well as relatively,
while relatively the percentage Of de-
crease has been steadily sinking from 63
Der cent. to 80 per cent; next to "a per
cent. and Is per cent. and lastly to 6
per cent. The crystalization of the
German empire, the rapid increase of
population, the change from an agricul.
tural condition to that of diversified in.
dustries, all suggest themselves ~ rea-
sons for this decrease in Germany. The
population is over.taxing the food pro.
ducing capacity of the country"
The committee reproduce tables from
what is known as the Window report,
which is . summary of the statement OF
the amount which, including wheat and
-four, imported into the United King.
dom, from 1860 to 1872, inclusive, and
adds thereto table of its own. showing
some facts from 1873 to 1883, inclusive.
Commenting on this table the committee
SAYS; can examination of the table
shows that Russia still retains second
position and Germany third, but the
rapid changes in eleven years OF
British India from the thirteenth po-
sition to the fourth, is the most noticea.
BILE feature of the summary. In the
next decade Germany will be practically
out of the record, and it is more than
probable that India will contest with
the United States for first position. !"
Elsewhere in the report this ques-
tion is discussed at length and many i'm
portant facts relative to the cost of the
production of wheat in India and other
competing countries, rates OF freight
charged, prices ct important points,
rates of ocean transportation, etc., are
referred to. It will also be observed
that comparing the two portions OF the
supply from Russia, Germany and
France has decreased actually and rela.
lively, though of course it must be
borne in mind that the Window Com.
mittee took period of thirteen years,
and this committee period OF eleven
years, but after due allowance for this
difference there would still be steady
decrease.
One important feature of the report
is, showing in tabular form prices OF
wheat for series of years in the princi'
pal countries. These tables show that
the average yearly price of wheat is the
lowest in India, ranging from 20
cents per bushel at Calcutta and
SI.2O at Bombay, between 1878
and 1883; Russia comes next
the average for the decade being 81. %
per bushel at Warsaw, SLIT, per bushel
at st. Petersburg, and $l.l5 at Odessa.
Austria ranks third in the following
order, Buda Pesth $l.lS per bushel,
Vienna 81 20, Trieste $l.36, and Prague
81 IS per bushel. The average price Of
wheat at Algiers was for the entire
period covered by the inquiry $l.2S per
bushel, and at Beierat 81 Al. In Ger.
many prices vary somewhat accor ling to
the location. The free port of Bremen
appears to enjoy the lowest price. 81 36
per bushel, and. curiously enough,
Stettin on the Baltic the highest, $l.7O
per hushel. Next come the grain cen.
ters of the Rhenish and We.tphalia
manufacturing regions of Aichen and
Cologne with l.60 and 81 80 per bushel
respectively. For the eleven years the
difference in price is not marked between
Breslau in the Eastern part of the EN-.
pire, Leipsic in the Central and Stuttgart
in the Southern, So 49. Sl.42 and 81. As
per bushel respectively. The central
position of Berlin together with the ex.
cellent railroad facilities, which extend
on all sides into grain regions, tends to
give that city cheaper wheat, the aver.
age price being for the eleven years END.
! ing in 1883, 81 3S per bushel. The
average price of wheat at the principal
grain ports of England was exactly 81 SO
per bushel, but in the appendix there
are tables which show in detail the
average prices of all grains in the Eng.
lish markets. Rouen and Nantes are
the cheapest wheat ports in France,
namely $l.54 per bushel, and Marseilles
SILL.
Important facts are brought out in
relation to ocean transportation and the
comparative cost of freight from India,
Russia and the United States to Great
Britain, and table is given showing in
comparison the rates of freight for
cereals during series of years from
three principal ports of British India,
the great northern and southern ports
of Russia, and the Atlantic and Pacific
ports of the United States to Great
Britain. OF this table the committee
says: 1.-THE general fact, and one of
the greatest importance to the United
States, is the steady decline in the cost
OF transportation. and the probability
that with increased freight to carry, the
rates between Europe ana the most
important and nearest ports of India,
Kurrachee and Bombay, will still con-
tinue to decline should this tendency
continue it will not be long before the
cost Of carrying wheat from India to
continental Europe and the United
Kingdom will be as low as between At.
lsntic ports and those markets. Tables
are also appended showing the ocean
freights of grain from nearly every i'm.
portant country to England and also the
comparative rates of freight charges
from various countries of the world.